Dorial Green-Beckham Worth the Risk for Oklahoma Sooners

By Tyler Brett

Dorial Green-Beckham has been a cautionary tale during his collegiate career. A highly rated recruit coming out of high school who has the physical gifts to make an immediate impact but can’t seem to stay out of trouble off of the field. His off-field issues got him kicked off the Missouri Tigers in April and he is now reportedly joining the Oklahoma Soonersfor a fresh start. While Oklahoma should definitely be wary of DGB’s baggage, the talented receiver is certainly worth the risk.

After a decently strong freshman season at Missouri in 2012, Green-Beckham broke out in 2013, catching 59 passes for 883 yards and 12 touchdowns as the Tigers made a run all the way to the SECtitle game. He showed the capability to emerge as one of the nation’s most explosive receivers in 2014 and would have been a leader of the Missouri offense if not for his multiple off-the-field incidences running him afoul of the Missouri coaching staff.

For Oklahoma, they have to hope that a change of scenery and perhaps a stronger hand from the coaching staff will help Green-Beckham to stay on the straight and narrow. The Sooners would undoubtedly be able to utilize the budding star’s talents as they only have Sterling Shepard as a reliable pass-catcher on the roster for this season. Adding a talent like DGB would give Oklahoma a truly formidable offensive attack and make them a favorite to walk away with a Big 12 title in 2015 and a possible national championship.

There is always a risk taking on a troubled young man like Dorial Green-Beckham. But with the way his stay at Missouri ended, Green-Beckham appears ready to turn things around. If he commits to staying out of trouble, he will definitely be worth the risk for Oklahoma to add him to their roster.